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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 122: The River of Forgetfulness
As the saying goes, "On the Bridge of Helplessness, the virtuous pass through the upper levels, while the wicked traverse the lower." The Bridge of Helplessness is divided into five layers; those who do good cross from the upper levels, while those who do evil must pass through the lowest layer. Those of mixed virtue and vice walk through the middle two layers. The uppermost layers, made of gold and silver, are flat and wide, with Yin Chai welcoming and escorting souls, allowing wandering souls to pass safely. In contrast, the lowest layer, known as the Plank Bridge, is in disrepair and clings closely to the surface of the River of Forgetfulness. The raging waters crash against it, with vengeful spirits pulling at those who attempt to cross, while insects and snakes bite at their bodies. Those unable to endure such torment or the terror of the crashing waves will not survive crossing this rickety bridge. The middle two layers are for those of mixed virtue and vice; while they may not face immediate danger, they will still experience some fright from the ghosts passing through.
Looking at the towering five-layered Bridge of Helplessness, I couldn't help but lament that good and evil have their consequences. It is better for people in this world to perform more good deeds because no matter how glorious one may be in the World of the Living, if one commits evil acts, descending into this Underworld means not only enduring Hell Punishment but also being forced to cross that dilapidated wooden bridge at the bottom! One misstep could lead to a fall into the River of Forgetfulness, resulting in eternal damnation with no chance of rebirth.
"Shidi, we've arrived at the Bridge of Helplessness; below it lies the River of Forgetfulness. Do you... want to look for Lin Xiaoqi?" Cao Qilong suddenly asked me.
Seeing the Bridge of Helplessness, how could I not know we had reached the River of Forgetfulness? Since entering this realm, Lin Xiaoqi's image had lingered in my mind. I wanted to search for her by the riverbank but was also afraid—afraid to see her because I didn't know how to face her; I still couldn't bring her back to safety.
Noticing my daze and lack of movement, Cao Qilong seemed to sense my thoughts. He said, "Shidi, Lin Xiaoqi jumped into the River of Forgetfulness just to wait for you. If you can't save her, she won't blame you. But if you come down here and refuse to see her, she will surely be heartbroken if she finds out. She suffers down there just to see you again."
Listening to Cao Qilong's words, I sighed deeply and shed a warm tear as I walked toward the River of Forgetfulness. Indeed, if I came down here but did not seek her out, it would be too cruel for her.
The River of Forgetfulness is a barrier preventing souls from entering the Underworld. Its waters are a blood-yellow hue filled with lost souls unable to reincarnate; insects and snakes abound with a foul stench wafting through the air. These lost souls fell from the Bridge of Helplessness; once they plunge into the river, they cannot be reborn unless they drag someone from the bridge down with them in exchange for their own chance at reincarnation. Of course, there are also wandering souls like Lin Xiaoqi who wish to remember their past lives; they must jump into this river and wait for thousands of years to avoid drinking Meng Po Soup.
Upon entering the River of Forgetfulness, we saw that along its banks bloomed vibrant red flowers—lush and abundant—creating a scene reminiscent of a red carpet. The Underworld is typically shrouded in darkness, but upon reaching the River of Forgetfulness, it transformed into a realm filled with red light emanating from these flowers. I recognized these flowers; they are Red Spider Lilies—ghostly lanterns illuminating the path for souls seeking rebirth!
The Red Spider Lily is as brilliantly red as blood, carpeting the road leading to Hell and blooming without leaves; it is unique in the underworld. Legend has it that its fragrance possesses magical powers capable of evoking memories from a deceased person's life. The endless expanse of Red Spider Lilies blazes like fire and stands as the only scenery and color along this dark path.
Many legends surround the Red Spider Lilies by the River of Forgetfulness. One tale tells of an incredibly ugly ghost who fell in love with a beautiful girl. However, due to his appearance, she did not love him back. Out of love, he imprisoned her until a warrior came along and rescued her while falling in love with her himself. In that confrontation, the warrior killed the ghost with his sword. The ghost's blood splattered among wild grasses, giving rise to a striking flower that bloomed there—a flower named Red Spider Lily. Since then, Red Spider Lilies have flourished in Hell's region called "Forgetfulness," where departed souls forget their earthly ties before reincarnating into new lives. Perhaps love is similar; due to differing affections between two people, many things must be sacrificed and forgotten. Thus, Red Spider Lilies became messengers of love from darkness because they witnessed a tale marked by tragic death...
There is another saying that once upon a time, there were two people named Bi and An. Heaven decreed that they could never meet. They cherished each other and admired one another from afar. Finally, one day, they disregarded Heaven's decree and secretly met. As fate would have it, upon meeting, Bi discovered that An was a beautiful woman, and An also realized that Bi was a handsome young man. They hit it off immediately, fell in love, and decided to be together for eternity.
However, the outcome was destined because their relationship violated divine law, and it was ultimately ruthlessly crushed. The heavenly court imposed a cruel curse on them: since they chose to meet in defiance of Heaven's rules, they would be transformed into a flower and its leaves. This flower was peculiar; it had flowers without leaves and leaves without flowers, forever separated in life and death.
Looking at the Red Spider Lily by the River of Forgetfulness, I seemed to see the love between me and Lin Xiaoqi. When I had a crush on her, I didn't know she loved me too; by the time I realized she loved me, she had already left. Longing for each other yet unable to meet, this kind of love is just like the Red Spider Lily before me—flowers bloom without leaves, leaves grow without flowers, forever separated in life and death. Our love is as desolate as this Red Spider Lily, never to bear fruit.
Under the bright red of the Red Spider Lily, I kept searching for Lin Xiaoqi's figure, continuously calling her name. However, instead of seeing her shadow, countless wandering souls rushed towards me from the riverbank, trying to drag me into the water.
The River of Forgetfulness is the only river in the Underworld. It is long, and to find Lin Xiaoqi, Cao Qilong and I kept walking along its banks, calling her name all the while. Until Cao Qilong advised me: "Stop looking; we need to cross the bridge or we'll miss the time to return to the World of the Living."
Indeed, there is only a stick of incense worth of time to cross over; if we miss that time in the World of the Living, we cannot go back. Although it seems like a long time has passed in the Underworld, normally it takes less than a stick of incense to handle matters here. However, even so, I couldn't afford to waste any more time.
I suddenly burst into tears—so sad and helpless—but to avoid missing the time to return to the World of the Living, I had no choice but to give up searching for her and head towards the Bridge of Helplessness. I asked Cao Qilong: "Didn’t she say she would wait for me by the River of Forgetfulness? Why can’t I see her?"
Cao Qilong also felt sorrowful. He had been with me all along, calling out Lin Xiaoqi's name for me; he too hoped we could meet. He sighed and said: "Perhaps she is deliberately avoiding you!"
Seeing my stunned expression, he continued: "Maybe she is like you—afraid to see you and unsure of what to say when she does. Or perhaps she doesn’t want you to know that she is suffering in this River of Forgetfulness."
Yes, perhaps it really is as Cao Qilong said; she might be intentionally avoiding me!
Carrying my heartache, we soon returned to the head of the Bridge of Helplessness. There stood several Yin Chai at the bridgehead, where many souls gathered waiting to cross. Each held a small ticket while the Yin Soldiers checked their tickets to determine whether they were good or evil. The Yin Soldiers assigned each soul their respective passage based on what was noted on their tickets.
Those who had been good in life were greeted with smiles by the Yin Soldiers and invited onto bridges made of gold, silver, or jade; while those who had been evil were forcibly dragged towards a rickety Plank Bridge. Some souls were afraid to walk on that dilapidated bridge swaying dangerously; those Yin Soldiers raised their Demon-Whipping Whips and lashed out at those unwilling souls. Instantly cries filled the air at the bridgehead—a truly desolate scene…
However unwilling the ghosts were to walk on the Plank Bridge, how could they resist the Yin Soldiers guarding it? In the end, they had no choice but to step forward, tearfully making their way onto the swaying wooden bridge under the relentless beating of the Demon-Whipping Whip. They felt hatred, anger, and regret, but at this moment, whether you felt hate, anger, or regret, it was too late. The Heavenly Father would not show mercy for your current plight because who told you to do evil in your past life?
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